Originally posted by Baseline

Originally posted by Ozmodan

What EA touches, EA turns to crap.  Amazing they manage to stay in business.

McDonalds produces crap and they are one of the biggest companies in the world.

Welcome to an era where quantity destroys quality.

Really bad comparison and only slightly true in one point. Firstly cost structure is totally different. Game industry is much like film industry. When you have to put 50 million dollars for product that will be ready in 2-5 years and has high risk of never returning that money. Majority of game studios fail because they are playing poker with all-in all time. They might win hand but it takes just one hit to go down. Only similiar thing with McDonalds and EA is that they can lose hand simply because they are so big.

Game industry is less fun nowdays. Back in 90's you could make really good AAA grade game with just 20 people, not much management in that. Now you need hundreds and probaply 20 people just to manage that. Same time gamers are more demanding and less interested to spend time with your product.

Bioware doesn't exist anymore, it's a zombie now.  Just wandering around the video game space puking out garbage games and devouring its customers without a thought.

EA is patient zero, it finds good companies that make good games and then it infects them and takes them over making them part of its hive zombie collective.

All the big time money suits at the top just sit in their ultra rich offices and mansions and think...

"hmm.. what company isn't under our control that is making good games?" says asshole exec #1.

"How about that Bioware company? My idiot kid is always playing their games." replies dumb fat bastard exec #2.

"Excellent, lets buy them out for a shit ton of money so they can't refuse and then completely destroy it so we can pump out pile of shit games and just slap Bioware on them all so people like your idiot son will buy it!" exclaims soulless money whoring exec #1.

:::Morale of the story::::  EA NEEDS TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!! if there is any hope for the video gaming future!! EA MUST BURN!!!!!

I see their departures as a definitive separation , with them planning to start up a new studio. I wish them good fortune.

With that said, I not so sure they don't hold a good portion of the blame for how SWToR ended up. As corporations go this looks like they were forced out. The game itself holds a lot of cues from KoTOR I & II. EA threw it's entire backing on to this project ( financially ) and probably technical also . The choice of engine still leaves me scratching my head as do quite a few design choices. I find it curious that out of the three mentioned above , two are leaving. This sounds to me, that on a corporate level the failure , if you want to call it such , of SWToR is being laid at their feet. Since now nondisclosure agreements are in effect , we'll never know the truth. The truth will however be revealed on the basis of the next projects released by EA, and the new company that'll more then likely arise. I'll be interested to see what develops.

If the good Dr.'s had the same integrity and love for both their fans and their company as Gabe Newell has, none of this would have ever been an isue.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/367227/ea-sought-to-acquire-valve-for-1-billion/

Quote:

"However, Valve company president Gabe Newell said the company would "disintegrate" if it was purchased by another company.

"It's way more likely we would head in that direction than say, 'Let's find some giant company that wants to cash us out and wait two or three years to have our employment agreements terminate,' " he said."

Well the problem in the 2000s was money. A company like BioWare can only do so much before they reach a money cap. So in an effort to build bigger and more, which is demanded by the gaming audience (us), they "sell out". Now with Kickstarter it may not be necessary to do that.

As for the good Drs, I doubt this is the last we see of them. Game design gets in your blood and even though you may have to take a voluntary or enforced break.  I imagine both men have a non-compete agreement and there is no way they can build a new indie studio while members of BioWare/EA.  In a few years I would not be surprised to see them and a bunch of former Bioware desperados making something new.

Now my pet peeve - once again we forget the past. I understand that for the author personally, It was where the PC RPG started altogether.  I am guessing the author never played Wasteland, Bard's Tale, any of the Gold Box AD&D games? I get it,; the article is about BioWare. Fine. Just say "restarted" or was "reborn". That would be an accurate statement. /rant.

I had some good times in Bioware games, and I haven't written Bioware off yet (still keeping my fingers crossed regarding DA3).

But, imo, studios like Obsidian (Project Eternity) are the future of RPGs, and Bioware, sadly, is yesterday's news.

I wrote off bioware a long time ago.  Mass Effect 1 was really what did it for me.  I dont know if its because i went back and replayed KOTOR about a year before ME1 came out, but i couldnt NOT notice the glaringly huge similarities between ME1  and KOTOR.  I was willing to keep them in mind, then i watched my roommate at the time playing ME2 and it was such a joke of a game.

None of any of this surprises me.

There goes another Canadian company going down the hole because of an American outlet, since Greg and Ray are gone, it probably won't be long till Bioware dies, pretty sad to be honest we Canadians loved Bioware and yet it is turning to crap because of my above statement.

Originally posted by Aeolron

There goes another Canadian company going down the hole because of an American outlet, since Greg and Ray are gone, it probably won't be long till Bioware dies, pretty sad to be honest we Canadians loved Bioware and yet it is turning to crap because of my above statement.

 

Well blame your Canadian cohorts for selling their company to americans.  Don't blame us.

Originally posted by ZigZags
This is GREAT news since Bioware hasn't made a good game since....since....I cant even remember the last good game they made. I may even remove them from my boycott list but we'll see.

I agree wtith this.  But without the people that started it all with the likes of baldurs gate etc. am guessing all they'll make is more 'ea crap', until they close down the studio and move on to swallow the next piece of competition.

I fully agree that EA needs to die, they're in the process of ruining DICE as well. They were voted the worst gaming company this year and they're hurting on money as well (hence the mass layoffs this past summer), so that wish may come true soon.

EA is obviously run by people who DONT play games and have mediocre idea about the gaming industry. Getting swallowed by EA is the WORST thing that could happen to a company, too bad it happened to a fantastic company like Bioware.

PS. Nobody expects the Inquisition, anyone?

Sadness...

But happy trails, sometimes you gotta go do something else...

I have first hand experience of two cultures like this not mixing.  I worked for many years in large financial organisations.  The 1st one was all about the 'Art' side and would take a long time to ensure everything was just right and any financial software release was on a 6 month cycle.

I then went to the other side where the organisation knew it was putting out crap code but they made a ton of cash quick. Their development cycyle was 6 weeks.  Developers who wanted the 'Art' type of environment left and those that just wanted the cash stayed. Interestingly their methodology was, 'we will release crap code for trading platforms then scrap it 2 months later'.

I enjoyed success at both organisations but its amazing to see the differences in the same industry.  I personally feel Bioware is just a name now with EA trying to maximise any cash from its goodwill.  Once that is gone the name will go with it. 

When EA comes knocking on the door with millions in cash, it is the death knell for your company. You will filthy rich, but your company will be Doctor Doom'ed.